Rockwood
said that it was only upon a request made by both the Army and the LTTE
that the ICRC can be involved in the matter of inspecting people in LTTE
custody.

“At
least 25,000 personnel of the Sri Lankan armed forces had been killed
during the two decades of fighting and no one categorized as Missing in
Action is in LTTE custody, chief negotiator Dr. Anton Balasingham told a
news conference at the end of the fourth session of peace talks here,”
the Daily Mirror reported today.

He
said many soldiers, who were killed had been listed by the army as missing
in action.

"On
several occasions we found hundreds of bodies after a battle. We wanted to
hand them over to the army through the ICRC. We are sorry to say they
refused to accept the bodies," Dr. Balasingham said.

"The
previous government had told the people in the South that thousands of
prisoners of war are under LTTE custody. We have officially told the ICRC
that we don't have prisoners," he said. Dr. Balasingham also said the
LTTE had lost nearly 17,500 cadres during the battles and there were a
large number under government detention, about 400 of whom were released
recently.

Government's
chief negotiator G.L. Peiris, who refused to comment on the numbers, said
that they would seek ICRC assistance to look into "involuntary
disappearances".

A
top ranking Army official contacted by the PRIU rejected the LTTE claim
but refused further comment.